Prisoners re-enter society

[tresdf]

Hi everyone, I think that every person has his right to live in a society no matter even if he was a prisoner in his early life. Most of the prisoners are racial or ethnic minorities and have difficulty in re-entering the society as they are faced with poverty and this leads to crime for which they are re-arrested are convicted and re-incarcerated and this adds a burden on the government in respect of tax-payers. What are your views on this?

[Mr. Dirlewanger]

Hi everyone, I think that every person has his right to live in a society no matter even if he was a prisoner in his early life. Most of the prisoners are racial or ethnic minorities and have difficulty in re-entering the society as they are faced with poverty and this leads to crime for which they are re-arrested are convicted and re-incarcerated and this adds a burden on the government in respect of tax-payers. What are your views on this?

Sorry we missed this. It was a hot one on the forum today! 

Our prison system is terrible. It is badly in need of reform.

[Mr. Dirlewanger]

Also, I don't think the relationship between poverty and crime is as clear as you believe.

I'm curious to see the responses of the others here.

[Mr. Dirlewanger]

I wish I could find it now but I had read an article several years ago in National Review about prison rape (homosexual and otherwise). It is very common and aside from the obvious psychological damage it causes it can also be a death sentence (HIV). There are serious human rights violations occuring in American prisons and yet we linger over some bullshit at Abu Ghraib (spelling?)

[pittypat65]

Hi everyone, I think that every person has his right to live in a society no matter even if he was a prisoner in his early life. Most of the prisoners are racial or ethnic minorities and have difficulty in re-entering the society as they are faced with poverty and this leads to crime for which they are re-arrested are convicted and re-incarcerated and this adds a burden on the government in respect of tax-payers. What are your views on this?

We all make choices in our lives. They chose to commit the crime. I didnt know that they were not permitted to live in a society once they have served their time. 

[pittypat65]

I wish I could find it now but I had read an article several years ago in National Review about prison rape (homosexual and otherwise). It is very common and aside from the obvious psychological damage it causes it can also be a death sentence (HIV). There are serious human rights violations occuring in American prisons and yet we linger over some bullshit at Abu Ghraib (spelling?)

I agree with that Mr. D. Prisoners should be protected. We do need prison reform for sure. 

[spunkloaf]

I think a prison reform would be excellent.  Not in a sense to cater to the comfort of prisoners, just to ensure their safety and what rights they have left in isolation from society.

Minnesota's prisons are notorious for neglecting people.  I know of a guy who recently died in prison, but it was by his own hand--somehow he had opiates in prison, and he overdosed.
I didn't know him personally, but the fact that prison personnel didn't check on him for thirteen hours while he lay dead, face down in his cell--kind of bothered me.

There are other cases in the twin cities that involve neglect and mistreatment, and many involve non-English speaking minorities.  One in particular that I read about was about a non-English speaking man who was taken to jail, and died of heart failure because he wasn't able to take his prescription, and he couldn't explain to the guards that he needed it to live.  There's a whole website dedicated to incidents of neglected prisoners just in Minnesota.  It was started by the families of people who have died or were mistreated in prison.

Gosh, people will say harsh things about prisoners because of their image, things like "Who cares if they're mistreated" but these are people who deserve at least some decent rights, if they don't have the freedom to live as they please outside prison walls.  Prison sucks the way it is without prisoners getting trashed on.

[alastair]

This is a very good issue to discuss about as it is concerned with the human race and deals with the real problems faced in the society. The Second Chance Act is taken in this way and hope that it brings a new dawn for the people. I believe you can also express your views on this on savetheleft which is good place to know your comments on such issues.

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

I think a prison reform would be excellent.  Not in a sense to cater to the comfort of prisoners, just to ensure their safety and what rights they have left in isolation from society.

Minnesota's prisons are notorious for neglecting people.  I know of a guy who recently died in prison, but it was by his own hand--somehow he had opiates in prison, and he overdosed.
I didn't know him personally, but the fact that prison personnel didn't check on him for thirteen hours while he lay dead, face down in his cell--kind of bothered me.

There are other cases in the twin cities that involve neglect and mistreatment, and many involve non-English speaking minorities.  One in particular that I read about was about a non-English speaking man who was taken to jail, and died of heart failure because he wasn't able to take his prescription, and he couldn't explain to the guards that he needed it to live.  There's a whole website dedicated to incidents of neglected prisoners just in Minnesota.  It was started by the families of people who have died or were mistreated in prison.

Gosh, people will say harsh things about prisoners because of their image, things like "Who cares if they're mistreated" but these are people who deserve at least some decent rights, if they don't have the freedom to live as they please outside prison walls.  Prison sucks the way it is without prisoners getting trashed on.

well gee gosh, what reforms would you advocate and what is the purpose of prison/incarceration?

[conley]

This is a very good issue to discuss about as it is concerned with the human race and deals with the real problems faced in the society. The Second Chance Act is taken in this way and hope that it brings a new dawn for the people. I believe you can also express your views on this on savetheleft which is good place to know your comments on such issues.

awesome website! i will definitely check it out...i have been looking for a site "which is good place to know your comments on such issues." and this place stinks.

i really like the black text on grey background you used. most of the evil righties are old people, who have trouble reading small text anyway -- they won't be able to figure out our lefty secrets! i would like to save the left with you !! you should recruit a few more people though. i'd say send personal messages to a few of the more liberal folks on here.

wow is probably the farthest left of all posters. he is always going on about how obama isn't liberal enough and he is going to vote for a third party candidate. he thinks we should disband the military entirely and see if canada will accept the u.s. as a province.

mister grumpy diablo loco's big cause is gay rights. he makes very good arguements that gays should have just as many rights as the rest of us to get married, buy houses in the suburbs, and birth children. he's a musician (a rapper actually) who served some time and found his partner behind bars.

and mister d i would probably put at center-left, maybe not LEFT enough for you, but he is for open boarders, amnesty, and free fertility drugs for all illegals under government mandated health care.

i'd say send them some messages and they would probably be a good addition to your site.

good luck with it!

[wow]

Hi everyone, I think that every person has his right to live in a society no matter even if he was a prisoner in his early life. Most of the prisoners are racial or ethnic minorities and have difficulty in re-entering the society as they are faced with poverty and this leads to crime for which they are re-arrested are convicted and re-incarcerated and this adds a burden on the government in respect of tax-payers. What are your views on this?

Most of the prisoners are racial or ethnic minorities and have difficulty in re-entering the society
Most prisoners are white men.
The more crackers that are locked up, the less crime there is in America.
What about child and adult rapists?

[spunkloaf]

There's no such thing as a child rapist.  If you rape somebody, you're obviously adult enough to be called one.

However, it's undeniable that children are curious little buggers and some do naughty things with each other sometimes.  It happens much more than people know, because nobody likes to talk about it.  It's embarrassing, and...not right.  But those kids need counseling, not punishment.

[trex]

There's no such thing as a child rapist.  If you rape somebody, you're obviously adult enough to be called one.

However, it's undeniable that children are curious little buggers and some do naughty things with each other sometimes.  It happens much more than people know, because nobody likes to talk about it.  It's embarrassing, and...not right.  But those kids need counseling, not punishment.

There you go again! Hes talking about people who rape child and adults.

[spunkloaf]

Well, I usually think a rapist is somebody who rapes.  My bad.

[trex]

I'll take "The Rapist" for $1000, Alex

That's "Therapist", Mr. Connery!